EAST ST. LOUIS — A 37-year-old, Las Vegas, Nevada, man recently pleaded guilty in federal district court in East St. Louis to count one of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.

(Credit: EnolaBrain)
(Credit: EnolaBrain)

Jiwon Jiwon Park is scheduled for sentencing on May 5, 2016, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both, at least 5 years of supervised release after his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.

Court proceedings revealed that on June 27, 2015, an Illinois State Police officer conducted a traffic stop on Park, after observing him traveling too close to other vehicles on Interstate 70 in Madison County. An ensuing search of the vehicle uncovered approximately 7 kilograms (over 15 pounds) of cocaine hidden in vacuum sealed bags in a box in the trunk of Park’s car.

The investigation of this matter is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Illinois State Police (ISP) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.